The direct mail industry features vendors of various sizes and different levels of expertise in certain areas. While many vendors consider themselves “full-service” direct mail companies, they don’t necessarily do all of the work in-house. They might do the addressing, labeling, and presorting at their facilities, but outsource the design work and printing. However, you only need to deal with a single direct mail company to work with your mailing from start to finish

Most businesses prefer working with a single direct mail company rather than a slew of individual vendors. But don’t overlook companies that only perform specific services, particularly if you are doing some of the work on your own. Working with multiple service-specific vendors can provide some stability because each vendor is an expert in working with that part of the mailing. However, you may not feel in control of your mailing since you need to get input from multiple mail service vendors at once.

The real difference between vendors is customer service. You want a direct mail company that will not only be fully attentive to your needs, but is also easy to contact if you have questions or concerns.

Experience also goes a long way in the industry. A direct mail company that’s been in business for 10 to 20 years has the longevity and a track record you can trust. Experienced vendors can also help you save money because they know where to find the best discounts, whether it’s during the presorting process, or by using a printing method that uses two colors rather than four without quality loss.

Contact several vendors before you do business with anyone. Find out what each direct mail company offers and then compare all of their services and prices before making a decision. In particular, learn what services they provide to help maximize your response rates. Never select a vendor based on price alone. If something seems way too low, find out why. You don’t want to risk getting stuck with a junky mailing list or amateurish design and copy.

The best way to gauge the type of operation a direct mail company runs is to watch them in action. Request a tour of the facilities and observe: are they busy? Is the material handled in a professional, organized way? Do they have the staff to handle your job? Are the salespeople knowledgeable? Did they ask questions to learn about your business before diving into a sales pitch?

As with any other purchase for your business, get references from direct mail companies before making your final decision. This is a great opportunity to find out what kind of experience another business had with the vendor. If possible, request references of clients in businesses similar to yours. Ask questions such as:

• Did the direct mail company work within your budget constraints?
• Did the vendor walk you through all of your options?
• What did you like about the services?
• Did the vendor care about the quality of your mailing?
• How quick was the turnaround time?
• Did they do everything possible to get you the largest discounts?
• How extensive was their mailing list database? Were you able to target the filters you wanted?
• How accurate was the mailing list?
• If a problem arose, did they notify you immediately?
• Have you used the direct mail company for follow-up campaigns? Why or why not?
• Did customer service give you the same amount of attention before you started the work and during the process?